The Unthinkable Choice
“Lorenzo,” Alessandro snapped, “just spit it out. The clock’s ticking and we’re running out of time.”
Enzo’s jaw flexed. He didn’t flinch at the full name, but his eyes flicked to each face in the cramped waiting area. “We have to leave Adriano behind.”
The words hit like a gunshot.
For a second, no one breathed. Even the steady beep of the heart monitor coming from the ICU felt like it stopped.
Diamond’s head jerked back, her brows knitting together in disbelief. “What?! Hell no! We can’t leave Adriano behind. Do you want him to fucking die?!”
Alessandro had a shocked expression on his face. Gabriele’s hands curled into fists. “I agree with her,” Gabriele said, his tone low but dangerous. “We’re not abandoning him.”
Alessandro gave a tense nod. “Same here.”
Enzo lifted his hands, palms outward, as if physically trying to calm the room. “All of you, please calm down and let me finish. This isn’t about abandoning him. This is about keeping him alive.”
Diamond’s glare didn’t soften. “Well that’s a funny way of putting it.”
Enzo stepped forward, lowering his voice but making sure every word landed. “La Rosa Nera will never believe we’d leave one of our own behind in a situation like this—especially someone as important as Adriano. If they see us walk out, if they see us leave this hospital, they’ll follow. Every single one of them. That means Adriano stays out of their line of fire.”
The room went quiet again, but this time the silence was heavier—like the idea was sinking in, whether they liked it to or not.
From the corner, Serena crossed her arms, her head tilting slightly. “It’s risky… but it’s actually a good idea.”
Luca’s eyes narrowed. “Even if we go along with this incredibly risky plan, that means Adriano is alone and completely defenseless. If anything goes wrong…”
Enzo pointed a finger at him. “That’s why we split up. Some of us get La Rosa Nera’s attention and draw them away. The rest stay behind, disguised as hospital staff, close enough to protect him if shit hits the fan.”
The idea started to really sink in, ugly but logical.
Gabriele exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “I hate this plan.” He looked around at each of them. “But I also don’t see another one and those motherfuckers will be here any second now.”
Alessandro’s gaze locked on Enzo. “Fine. Luca, Marco, Serena—you stay with Enzo. Make sure you stay close to Adriano at all times.” He turned to Gabriele and Diamond. “You’re with me.”
Then Alessandro stepped in closer to Enzo, his voice dropping into a threat that felt like a blade pressed to his skin. “If this plan goes sideways, I swear to fucking God I’ll cut your balls off.”
Enzo blinked rapidly, a flicker of surprise breaking his usual composure. “…Wait, what?”
Alessandro ignored him, looking back to the others. “You guys keep in touch with me okay?”
Diamond’s throat tightened. She turned toward the ICU, eyes locking on Adriano through the glass. He was pale under the harsh fluorescent light, wires and tubes snaking across his body, his chest slowly rising and falling. Tears blurred her vision. She pressed her palm briefly against the glass, silently praying for his safety.
“Diamond.” Alessandro’s hand closed around hers, firm but gentle, pulling her away.
They sprinted down the hall with Gabriele, footsteps echoing off the sterile walls.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, La Rosa Nera soldiers were moving floor to floor, flashing phone screens at patients and staff, their voices low and tense.
“Have you seen these people?” one asked a trembling nurse.
Boots squeaked against tile as they advanced.
“Hey, assholes!”
The shout made every head turn. At the far end of the corridor, Alessandro stood in an open elevator with Gabriele and Diamond. He raised his middle finger high. “Vaffanculo!” (Fuck you)
Before they could react, he slammed the button. The elevator doors slid shut just before the soldiers could reach them.
One of the men hissed into his comms. “The Grecos are here and they're getting away. All units, man the elevators!”
Inside the elevator, the three of them waited in tense silence, the low hum of machinery almost deafening. Diamond’s hand gripped the railing so hard that her knuckles turned white. Alessandro’s jaw was tight, eyes fixed on the floor numbers ticking down. Gabriele’s chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.
The moment the doors opened, chaos erupted.
La Rosa Nera men were already charging toward them.
They bolted through the lobby, shoving past startled visitors and uniformed staff. The automatic doors hissed open and they burst into the cold night air, the smell of exhaust and rain hitting them at once.
They didn’t stop until they reached the car. Alessandro jumped in the driver’s seat, Gabriele in front, Diamond in the back. The tires screeched as they tore out of the parking lot.
Behind them, a handful of La Rosa Nera soldiers spilled out of the building, diving into their own cars, engines roaring to life.
Diamond twisted around, peering through the rear window. “I can’t see them.” She turned back to Alessandro, a breathless smile spreading across her face. “I think we lost them.”
Alessandro glanced at her, the corner of his mouth twitching upward in a brief smile.
That was all it took.
Gabriele’s voice ripped through the moment. “WATCH OUT!”
He grabbed the steering wheel, yanking it hard as headlights blazed in front of them—an oncoming car barreling straight toward them.